From The Editor: DNA #299 – Have Americans Gambled With Their Rights?
Most stories in DNA #299, our latest USA Issue, were commissioned well before we knew that Donald Trump would become President again.
Considering the election result, the most compelling feature in this issue is MAGA Gays by Gary Nunn. We asked, “Why would any LGBTQIA+ person vote for Donald Trump?” and Gary set about finding out. He spoke with Peter Boykin from Gays For Trump and Skyler Akins from Log Cabin Republicans.
The cost-of-living crisis, which is affecting everyone in the world, not just Americans, seems to have been the deciding issue. In my fact-checking, I learned that the US economy under Joe Biden was extremely strong – but that was not help curb inflation.
It seems people have voted with their hip pocket, compromising how they feel on issues like civil rights, equality, abortion, the environment, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and even Elon Musk.
Americans know Donald Trump better this time around than they did in 2016. They know he lies, that he’s a convicted rapist, that he’s been found guilty of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, they know he’s gone bankrupt six times, they saw him cheer on the January 6 insurrection, they heard him trying to subvert the 2020 election asking Georgia to “find” an extra 11,000 votes, encouraging Russia to attack America’s NATO allies, suggesting that injecting bleach could cure covid, etc.
They know how bad he can be and yet they still chose him. People must be able to put food on the table, but should they have to haggle away their rights for it? The answer is no. A leader who truly has their country’s best interests at heart would never ask their people to choose. “Allow me to pursue my extremist agenda and I’ll bring down the price of eggs.”
That worries me. If our rights can be so easily compromised for the sake of bread-and-butter issues, where does that leave us? And if you think our rights aren’t under attack, consider this: it has been reported by numerous sources that the GOP spent $215 million on anti-trans attack ads during the election. That’s $215 million attacking a vulnerable, marginalised community whose existence barely impacts most Americans’ lives. It’s also a $215 million commitment against civil rights – and who will be their next target? Trump may not personally be homophobic (I don’t know) but he is surrounded by people who are and who have an anti-gay agenda.
If it’s the economy that matters most to voters, well… Economists almost unanimously warn that Trump’s signature policy, trade tariffs, will drive the cost of consumer goods up, increasing inflation. His other promise, the mass deportation of undocumented migrants, will also harm the US economy. The migrant workforce is a “major and vital component of the US workforce,” says The Economic Policy Institute. And this includes so-called illegal arrivals.
Of course, we wish nothing but success for the US because, despite the chaos of Trump In Charge, there is much more to admire about America.
In this issue, we asked some of our favourite Americans, like cover boy Adam Jones, photographers James Franklin and Joee Vee, and celebrity correspondent Richard Reid, to tell us about My USA. We profile four up-and-coming entertainers in Next Gen USA (Chappell Roan, PrettiBoiRoq, Javon King and The Blessed Madonna). We take a fresh look at New York beyond Manhattan, and we do a cheeky compare-and-contrast between Pete Buttigieg and George Santos! We also discover that the little kid from Baywatch, Jeremy Jackson, is now a bangin’ bear!
Plus so much more: new season swimwear, a Bronski Beat retrospective, Giovanni Adams, pole dancers, Courtney Act, and cabaret star Lance Horne. Of course, there is tons of eye candy!
